“I hope it is sooner, Toad. I'd wish you'd seen her. Then again, I'm glad you didn't because I'd hate to kill you over her. I'd do it, but I’d hate it.”
Matthew chuckled again. “You know I'd never go after a woman you were interested in, Cramp. I'd just like to meet the woman who warmed you... that's a powerful thing, cold as you are with women.”
“I'm not cold, just... cautious.” I paused a moment. “She had me twitching in my pants, Matthew. It doesn't help that I haven't had sex in three months.”
“Damn... how the fuck are you sitting? I can't even imagine going three months without being inside some pussy. Fuck! Three months? I think I'm going to get laid for you, tonight.”
I shook my head and ignored that statement. “I don't want to make the same mistake Dad did. I need to bide my time and hopefully this girl will be available when I am.”
“Good luck with that. Don't forget that contract needs to be renewed with Tokyo before June's end. You need to get on that.”
They kill me with that ‘don’t forget’ shit. Like I could. Still, I humor them.
“Yeah, Mother reminded me. I'll go into the office after my rounds Monday and book the jet to leave in a week.” I rubbed my eyes. “I can’t wait for Twerp to get back from his honeymoon so I can wipe my hands of that whole thing. You could’ve done this for a couple of months, Toad.”
“I could have, but I'm allergic to nine to five business hours,” Matthew grinned. “Tell you what, Cramp. I'll go to Tokyo with you, and help you get an Asian woman. Their fucking hands are magical.”
“Shut up, Toad,” I snorted as he turned into the penthouse parking lot. “Where was Evelyn tonight?”
“She's meeting the parents,” Matthew snickered. “I smell a proposal in the air. Good for her. She couldn't do any better than Russ.”
I nodded as I opened the car door. “I agree; Russell will make her happy. Or die trying.”
“He'll die if he hurts her.”
“No way that’ll happen. He loves her; he told me so after a game, months ago.”
“What's taking him so long to propose then,” Matthew asked as we stepped in the elevator.
“Evelyn. He doesn't think she's ready for commitment.”
“She's the other smart sibling, then. Play the field, I say. No ties, no strings. Just perfect fucking then go home and enjoy the solitude.”
“You'll lose that solitude when you have kids.”
Matthew smirked. “Already worked that out, if I ever decide to have them, that is. They'll live with their mother. I won't. No woman's ever trapping me or invading my space. I'll fuck her, knock her up and go home. ABC, 123.”
I smirked back, shaking my head. “You really are such a toad.”
This fool actually bowed. “Why thank you, Cramp. A-thank you very much!”
Chapter THREE
Hard Evidence
July 8, 2018
“Marcus,” Matthew shouts from downstairs. “Where are you?”
“Bedroom!”
I hear footsteps running on my stairs and it's more than two people. Matthew bursts through the door first, followed by Richards and another guy.
“Marcus, have you touched anything in here,” Matthew asks, walking toward me.
“The doorknobs. Here and the kids' rooms, the nursery and the bathroom.”
Matthew squats and presses a glass in my hand. He's wearing black latex gloves. They all are, I note.
“Knock it back. Was there a note?”
I down it fast, feeling it burn immediately. It feels… funny. I haven't had hard liquor in almost seven years.
“No,” I rasp, staring into the glass.
“Marcus,” Richards calls calmly. I slowly raise my head and look at him. He's holding a note pad.
“What you're wearing, the scrubs, were you wearing them when you came home?”
“Yeah,” I say, wishing there was more scotch in my glass. Matthew snatches it away from me. Richards speaks again.
“Marcus, this is my partner, Ryan Parker. He found Mariah when she disappeared.”
“Dr. Cannon,” Parker starts. “Can you tell us what happened when you arrived home? What you observed?”
“She left the milk out. A glass was knocked over.”
“Can you show us exactly; walk us through exactly what happened?”
“Yeah.” I shakily get to my feet.
“Are those the shoes you were wearing when you came in?”
“Yes.”
“Would you mind removing them? Put another pair on and place these over them,” Parker says, passing me foot covers.
I put on my tennis shoes as Parker bags my favorite runners.
I feel like the numbness is wearing off as I walk through our house to the kitchen. I head to the back door; Parker opens it and squats in front of it.
“I always enter the house through the kitchen from the garage. This door was unlocked. I thought I locked it when I left. I examined it, briefly, and noted it was stripped.”
“It's not stripped; it’s been dummied,” Parker says quietly staring at the lock then at the floor.
“What?” I look at the door again. “I don't see that.”
I turn and am about to click on the light when they all yell, “NO!” I immediately froze.
“Don't touch anything, until you put on gloves, Marcus,” Richards says, giving me a pair. I use them to click the switch, then pull them on.
“Here… look at the lock. Someone switched out the lock for a dummy, making you think you were locking it. This could have been done at any time. How long have you lived here?”
“Before Mariah got pregnant. Ten months.”
“She's pregnant,” Richards asks.
“Yes. Just over six months. Twenty-six weeks.”
“Is she on any meds that she needs, outside prenatals and iron?”
“No, but she needs her iron. She's anemic when she's pregnant.”
“Did you notice anything different outside when you drove into the garage?”
I think a moment. “The lights weren't working. They didn't come on when I pressed the opener.”
Parker removes his covers and goes out the door. We follow. He stops halfway to the garage, as a strong wind blows, and inhales deeply.
“Shit! The bulb's been busted.”
“What? How can you tell that?” I strain to see what he sees. I see a bulb in the lamp; it looks intact to me.
“A busted bulb emits an odor that is usually undetectable, but I can smell it. I guarantee there is a busted bulb in that fixture.”
We continue to the garage and check the bulb. It was busted from the side that faces the garage. Parker opens the garage door.
“This lock’s been dummied, too. I'm not sure about the bulbs in here. I can still smell that odor, so we should check them all.”
Matthew checks the other two on the outside, and Richards, Parker and I check the four inside. None are busted. Just the one over the human door.
Parker asks, “Where's the circuit box?”
“Behind the garage door. Inside.”
We all rush to it. I open the circuit box’s door and click the one switch in the off position. The garage lights shine immediately. My whole body shudders and I grip the wall. The fucker must’ve busted that light bulb to make sure he wasn't seen fucking with the door and getting into the garage. A hand grips my shoulder.
“Fuck,” Matthew shouts. “Daniels! Get your crew to my brother's house ... Marcus and Mariah Cannon,” he snarls into his cell phone. “No, everyone and twenty minutes ago! I want the whole fucking place dusted yesterday! No press and no on-duty cops!”
“What did you do next, Dr. Cannon,” Parker asks quietly.
I take a deep breath. “I went in the kitchen door, and saw the milk and cookies out. I walked over to cap the milk and put it back, but noticed a glass was knocked over and milk was spilled on the table and the floor.”
“Let's go back to the kitchen,” Richar
ds says, writing furiously.
We run back to the kitchen, pausing only to put the covers back on our shoes.
Apart from the spilled milk, there is a green rag on the floor, under a chair.
“I've never seen that before,” I mumble, pointing. I look around the kitchen and see the containers knocked over on the counter near the door and Mariah's pink house shoe half-way under the cabinet. “I bet she put on the pink pajamas you gave her, Matthew. She only wears them when she's pregnant. They have an elastic waist band.”
I watch Parker snap a picture of the rag on the floor. He drops a handkerchief directly over it, flip it then lift the green rag and places it in a see-thru zip bag.
“Daniels... is there a woman on your team, about five-seven, a hundred and forty pounds?”
I turn and see Matthew on the phone again.
“My wife,” Parker murmurs.
“Good, we definitely need her. How close are you? ... Make it here in three, run everything.”
“Are your security cameras working, Dr. Cannon,” Parker asks.
“FUCK! Yes!” I run to my office and open the cabinet behind the desk, switch on the monitor and rewind the DVR.
“STOP,” Matthew shouts. “Go forward, 3:35 a.m.”
I do and there's a shadow in the corner of the shot, then Mariah is thrown lifeless on her back, to the ground. I stumble backwards. Someone catches me and I drop to the chair, my eyes fixed to the screen. I can't believe my beautiful wife was thrown down like that, discarded.
At 3:41, a tail light appears in the corner, and a guy gets out and checks Mariah's pulse. He then lifts her fireman's style and carries her to the car. The car dips as it's loaded, then drives off.
“Is that the only angle, Dr. Cannon?”
I hear Parker’s voice, but I can’t answer. I just quietly blink at the monitor.
“Dr. Cannon!”
“What?”
“Is there another angle, or another camera that points to the street or back area?”
“Just the one at the front door. It points at an angle to capture a portion of the driveway.”
I jump when a loud banging comes from my front door.
“That's Daniels and his crew. I'll be right back,” Matthew informs.
I pick up the desk phone. I need Joshua here, too.
“Marcus?”
“Joshua, Rockford. I need you here, now.”
“I'll be right there.”
“Don't call anyone, just get over here,” I say, then hang up.
“What time did you get here, Dr. Cannon?”
I shake my head at Parker’s question. “I know I made it upstairs at 4:41. Maybe up to five minutes before that.”
June 23, 2011
“Marcus, I hear you've fit in well here. How do you feel about Stephen's decision to partner? Any concerns,” Thomas Harvey asked me as he pushed ‘3’ on the elevator panel.
I shook my head. “None. I think it's the best decision he's made in a long time.”
“Excellent. I'd like to show Adina the conference room, on the Internal Medicine floor, before we head up to the OB floor. We're having an orientation today, nurses and assistants only. I'd like to pop my head in and see if my daughters are there yet. They're nurses and they start Monday.” Thomas proudly smiled. “I haven't seen them in six weeks, and I just want to sneak a quick kiss before continuing.”
“Six weeks,” Adina asked.
“Yes; I've recently remarried and had an extended honeymoon.”
“Congratulations, Thomas. Marcus and I are looking forward to our wedding. Hopefully you and your family will attend.”
I gave Adina a smirk. I didn't know what was her problem. Since Matthew and I returned from Tokyo, she'd been on a mission to get married for real. There was no way we were getting married so I really needed to put this charade to an end sooner than later.
I grinned, thinking I may see that beautiful woman again and I couldn't contain the anticipation building in me as we walked a corridor toward opened double doors at the end.
“This is the largest conference room in the building, normally used for office parties and such,” Thomas informed stepping inside. “Evelyn! Glad to see you. Are you liking your new office here?” He held my sister's hand in his as he kissed her cheek.
“Very much, Thomas, thank you. Hello, Marcus, Adina.”
I kissed my sister's cheek. “How's Russell? He flaked at the gym with Rob and me last night.”
She smiled at me. “Russ is scouting in Des Moines, a last minute fill-in. He should be back this weekend, hopefully.”
“Okay. Tell him I expect him at the gym soon, no excuses. I’ll even put him on my team, but he’ll ride the bench.”
“I will, Marcus,” Evelyn laughed. “And he tries. I have no idea why that man is so bad at basketball!”
I laughed then surveyed the room. No Ms. Right. Damn. I inhaled at my disappointment.
“We'll leave you to the orientation, Evelyn. I was hoping to see my girls but I guess they're running late.”
“They have eighteen minutes, Thomas, then I'm locking the door,” Evelyn laughed.
“They'll make it,” Thomas grinningly assured. “I trust my daughters not to be late. They never disappoint. Marcus, Adina.” Thomas held out his arm toward the door. “We'll go this way, and I'll show you the offices. Then we'll circle back and head to the elevator. The floor plans are basically the same on each floor, except Peds.”
“See you at dinner, Evelyn.” I accepted a kiss from her then looked around once more.
“Absolutely. Enjoy the tour, Adina.”
“Thank you,” Adina murmured with venom. I couldn’t understand why she hated my sister. Yet another strike.
“This way,” Thomas pointed, open-handed. “The offices are through here.”
“All right,” Adina murmured.
Thomas droned on about the clinic to Adina. I tuned them out.
I couldn't believe my Ms. Right was not in that room. Perhaps she's already working there, and I missed seeing her. Fuck, I hoped not. She’d haunted my dreams damn near every night since the lab visit, especially when I got her report back. She's clean and no pregnancy. Elated doesn't begin to describe how I felt when I read her results.
My damn cock twitched repeatedly just thinking about her. I was glad I had that fifty-page contract to cover that area. I moved the contract in front of me and considered giving Matthew a call and instruct him to find out who she was so I could fuck her, get it over with and walk away; a sort of… cleansing.
No, I couldn't do that. I wanted her in my life for more than physical release and she doesn't even know I walk the planet. I fucking ached for her and she didn't even know I breathed.
Finally in control of my person, I frowned when a blonde flew by the corridor we were in. She looked like the girl that was with my future wife. I walked ahead to see if that was indeed the girl from the lab with my Ms. Right.
At the end of the corridor, I turned to my right but didn't see anyone. I heard a woman's sexy laugh and turned left toward the elevators, wanting to see the woman that melodic sound belonged to, and grunted when someone smacked hard into my chest.
“Ooh!” I heard as I stumbled back a little. I tried to reach out and catch her but it happened so fast, I couldn’t. In the process, my contract with Thomas fell from my grasp. I looked at the floor and there SHE was. My Ms. Right. She scrambled to her knees to gather my papers. My heart skipped while I stared at her.
“I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention,” she whimpered, sounding frazzled.
She was on her knees in front of me and I immediately erected, again. Jesus. Even with her head down, she looked beautiful.
My fluxed head wondered, how am I this turned on and I haven't even seen her face? Five weeks without seeing her had to have something to do with it, right?
“Mariah! What happened? Are you okay,” a woman's voice asked behind me.
Mariah… God, even her name was b
eautiful!
“I'm fine,” Mariah snapped, sounding like she was on the verge of tears, which made me feel like a complete ass.
I squatted and helped her gather the papers, but I couldn't look at her. I was so turned on and nervous of what I may do if I looked at her face and I didn’t want to scare her off.
I reached for the last sheet of loose paper and brushed her fingertips, and a spark shot straight from my heart to my cock. I silently willed it down. Mariah finally looked at me and instantly, I became lost in her big, deep brown eyes. I couldn't move; I'm transfixed by her gaze. I whispered her name, completely breathless.
Wicked Witchcraft… In that moment, I totally got that song and couldn’t get it out of my head.
I stared at her beautiful lips and licked my mine, wanting them on hers. Her lips parted. I looked at her eyes again, feeling like she wanted to kiss me, too, and I hoped my eyes were giving her permission. I craved hers and prayed for it. I would’ve loved to do nothing except kiss those lips. But again, I didn’t want to scare her off.
Thomas gripped her arm and pulled her up; she doesn't break our gaze. Neither could I.
“Cookie, are you all right?” Thomas shook her. “Cookie!”
Cookie? I smirked. That's what the blonde called her in the lobby and I now believed that nickname fit her.
Mariah reluctantly looks at him. “Yes, Pops, I'm fine,” she huskily replied. Ooh, that voice.
Wait... she called him 'Pops.'
She's Thomas' daughter? Fuck, that’s not going to work! Anger started to rise and it made my erection finally deflate.
“I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention,” Mariah mumbled then put a horrified look on her face.
Thomas whispered something to her then kissed her temple while the blonde rubbed her back, and she relaxed. Thomas wrapped an arm around Mariah and the blonde grabbed his free hand and held her cheek out to him.
“Hi, Pops. You look wonderful. How was the honeymoon,” the blonde asked.
'Pops' again? Both of them are his daughters?
Thomas went into a nervous stance and quickly said, “Just fine, Twinkie, thank you.”
I smirked in amusement. What was with these pet names?
Marcus: The M Series, Book Three Page 2